PARIS—Novak Djokovic does not try to hide his ambitions. He makes perfectly clear that he wants to win a French Open title more than anything.
Embarking on a bid to complete a career Grand Slam and fill the only glaring hole on his resumé, the No. 1-ranked Djokovic pulled out a tight first set en route to a 7-6 (5), 6-4, 7-5 victory Tuesday in the first round against David Goffin, a Belgian who was the surprise of Roland Garros a year ago.
“I love this Grand Slam,” Djokovic said. “I really want to do well here.”
The key moment came in the first-set tiebreaker, with the 58th-ranked Goffin serving at 5-all. After he faulted once, a fan yelled, “Allez, David!” The 22-year-old Goffin then proceeded to miss his second serve, too, for a double-fault that gave Djokovic a set point.
Meanwhile, 2010 French Open runner-up and 2011 US Open champion Sam Stosur beat 42-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan 6-0, 6-2.
Another Australian, Bernard Tomic, stopped because of a torn right hamstring while trailing Victor Hanescu, 7-5, 7-6 (8), 2-1.
American Jack Sock, a 20-year-old qualifier ranked 118th, made a successful Roland Garros debut by beating Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 6-2, 6-2, 7-5. AP